Five districts in Telangana reel under severe power crunch

At least five districts in Telangana are reeling under severe power shortage with demand for power exceeding supply and the state expressing its inability to purchase power from neighbouring states.   

 As per the government sources, the shortage is more than 23 million units per day. With severe heat conditions in the state, the extended use of power in the household sector is making it impossible to cater to the needs of rural and industrial sector.

The demand for power per day now stands at 157 MU and the supply is 138 MU. “If this heat continues, the gap could be well beyond 25MU,” a Transco officer said.

The situation is very precarious in Adilabad, Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Khammam of Telangana which has the maximum number of bore wells — 47 lakh. More than 5,500 feeders supply power to these bore wells.

“The government has assured seven hours of power to the farming sector. But there is not even a single hour of power supply to the farm sector. The chief minister and his family talk about transforming Telangana into another Singapore and Karimnagar as London,” Kishan Reddy, chief of Telangana unit of BJP commented on the government’s inaction here on Sunday. 

The BJP alleged that there is an upward swing in the number of farmer suicides after the TRS government took charge. “I don’t blame KCR for the crisis but where is the action plan to set things right,” Kishan Reddy added.

The supply is erratic as the Central Power Distribution Corporation is unable to supply the required 2300 MW in these districts. 

“Paddy, maize and cotton crops in my five acres of land dried up and I have left the cattle to graze, at least they will enjoy,” said a distraught farmer Keerthi Buchiah of Tekkal village in Warangal district. In another mandal of Warangal districts, irate farmers attacked the Kundaram substation and manhandled the operator there. 

In capital Hyderabad, there is an official power deficit of six hours except places such as Khiaratabad that houses Raj Bhavan, Assembly and the state Secretariat. M Venugopal Rao, an expert in the field of power, has said that the situation could deteriorate further.

At present the entire power produced by the Nagarjuna Sagar project is being supplied to Telangana.